Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1887-06-24

| Considerable uneasiness prevails ia
some portions of the South over the fac
that the negroes in large numbers are
quitting their old homes. This exodus is
attributed by Southern people to the ef-
| forts of emigration agents, who preseno to
| the negroes rose-colored inducements of
| the prosperity which they can win in the
| West. The real cause, however, is one
which Southern people are not ready to
own-viz., the fact that in most of the
Southern States the negro is not a, pres
ent, and never has been, allowed the en-
joyment of his political rights. BY in
timdGtion or by craft ne has been kept
from the polls, or if he voted his vote has
not been counted, ever since the Iights OF
citizenship were conferred upon bim
This means good deal to the negro, VINO
rightly looks upon the franchise as lae
visible token of his free citizenship. IN
other ways the blacks have been made to
realize that they are still a subject lace.
Thus the laws enacted shortly alter tie
war, limiting the landlords zen
for rent to third of the clop
have been almost universally repealed
and the landlords lien now extends to the
whole crop. This, to a considerable ey-
tent, makes it impossible for the blacks to
procure advances on the future products
CT the land. Again, if charged, with anv
crime the black man is, commonly, not
tried by a jury Of his peers but by Jury
of white men, who are about as sure to
render a verdict against the black man as
they are to sit on the case. If a white
man is ever found guilty of killing black
man, or of robbing him, or owing him a
debt, it is very rare occurrence
If "a negro brings suit against a white
man, he may thank his lucky stars if he
gets out of it with whole skin aud the
rivilege of paying costs. These facts are
freshly recalled by correspondent OF the
New York sun who writes from Able
vile, S. G. All portions of the South are
not as bad as South Carolina in this re-
spect; but 1t is doubtful if anywhere in
the South the colored man stands squarely
on a level before the law, with the white
man. A single exception to the prevailing
rule, has, however, recently occul .ed
The Supreme Court of Georgia has re-
Gently by sustaining the will of a Georgia
planter made mulatto woman he
richest colored person in America. The
facts are as follows: David Dickson was
before the war, one of the heaviest slave
holders in the South having on one planta-
ton alone 800 negroes. After the war, he
accepted the new order OF things, and ran
up a fortune of 5000, 900. He died bachelor
leaving many white relatives anxious for
his property. They were disguised as well
as disappointed, when they discovered that
he left a will by which seven-eighths of
his possessions were left to his colored
mistress and her daughter, Amanda. A
fight was made on the will. the principal
point being that it was opposed TO publ :
policy to permit white man to dispose of
his property to his colored illegitimate
children. The Supreme Court of Georgia
now rules that the negroes have the same
civil rights as white people, and that the
will must stand. If decisions of this
kind were more frequent at the South,
there would be less talk about an exodus
Of the colored people.